Why can't we be friends
by The Raging Trojan
Summary: A few weeks after joining the clan, Jake is having trouble getting along with his teacher, who is also having troubles of her own. Can Neytiri let go of her past, how can Jake cool the tension. Read on to find out.


**Why Can't We Be Friends**

An Avatar Fanfic short

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**Authors Note:** Hello there and let me start by saying thank you for taking the time to read my first Fanfiction (in a very long time) under my brand new profile.

I would like to take the time, using this story for it, to tell you that I once had a profile (around almost a year ago) but I have lost track of it because I had to reformat my laptop due to a virus and I had to delete a lot of infected programs including my old email account which meant I could no longer get onto my profile. So whatever happened to it is a mystery to me though I have a feeling it was deleted. But enough of that, let's talk about this story.

The stories title pretty much says it. It is set a little while after Jake is allowed to join the Omaticaya clan and will be how Neytiri became to get over her hatred and anger for him. This is actually a scene, well scenes really, that I think should have been in the movie, to elaborate and explain some past history for one of the main characters, and further explain why she began to like him.

Ok now that's done, please enjoy my story and if you want, leave a review and also I appreciate any pointers you can give me on e.g. Gramma, wording, language and any others.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Billion dollar blockbuster movie Avatar nor any of it's characters or locations. I'm simply delving into the created universe to write my own stories based on it.

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**Back on Earth, home, we had no idea of the unjust's going on here. To us, it was just a back water planet which would supply us with another fuel source until it was depleted. **

**Corporation censorship done wonders in keeping the true stuff hidden and the bad stuff publicised to keep public approval on there side. **

Jakes Avatar twitched inside his _ni'vi_, as his concious was transferred through a machine miles away and into his "other" body. His human one would be put into a somewhat medical educed coma where everything would seem like a dream until he unlinked.

Though as Jake opened his Avatar's eyes and took his first true breath in it, it felt more real then anything he had felt back in his human one. Of course he wouldn't say any of this to anyone. Not to Grace and especially not to Colonel Quaritch, he would probably laugh in his face and say he was turning into a damn tree hugging hippy.

As he rubbed his eyes to extinguish the built up sleep in them, his vision cleared to see a very striking yet very annoyed, alien yet human like face with some feline features staring at him.

"Finally you wake. You are very lazy dreamwalker."

Jake sighed as his teacher and bane of existence began to walk off along the branch that held his and other peoples sleeping hammocks.

Deciding not to annoy her further, because that would be very bad for his health and overall life expectancy. He quickly pulled himself up using the same branch he used to swing himself down to his hammock at night to leverage his weight as he swung and jumped for the walkway branch above him. One that feat was complete he jogged a little to catch up to her.

"Sorry boss, wont happen again," he said as caught up and began to walk in step with her.

He turned and watched as his teacher shook her head, "You have said that already Jakesully," she replied.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck as she continued, "You know when we start. If you do not want to wake up early then do not bother waking up here at all and just leave."

Jake heard the snarl creep into her voice and he sighed heavily. He knew he couldn't leave, he had a contract with the colonel and even if he didn't really like doing it, the possibility of getting his legs back for his "real" body was just to great of a proposition. Though as he looked over his Avatars body, he began to wonder what body felt more real to him and he thought further, even if he got his real legs back on his human body back on earth, it wouldn't change the fact that he had no relatives left there. The last one was Tommy.

So, he decided that for the moment, cause he couldn't decided on what the hell he wanted to do, that learning to be come one of the people was a lot more fun then just being a security driver and though he didn't want to admit it, for some reason he actually looked forward to coming here when he woke up in the morning. Though he suspected that that, had something to do with his angry yet sexy teacher

So as Jake mustered his courage, he moved and took action into his own hands before this argument lead to her actually pushing him to leave, or kill him. And to do this, he walked a few paces in front of her, put both his arms out to grab her shoulders to stop her and he looked into her eyes.

Neytiri, who was taken back by this, took a instinctive step back and pushed his hands away yet her eyes stayed pinned on her student.

Jake hissed inwardly at touching her to stop, he knew it was a major invasion of privacy but he didn't ponder much into it, it still had the effect he wanted.

"Neytiri, I know you don't like me but you need to get one thing strait here and that is that I _do_ want to be here," he watched as her body calmed and she stood inattentively before him listening. "Now I don't know why you guy's all hate my people, but all I can say is that don't let what they did in the past, tarnish a possible good relationship between myself, you and your clan for the future, ok."

Jake took a breath after he finished, he had never been diplomatic, always a marine first. But he knew he had to somehow stop this hatred between Neytiri and himself or he would get no ware here.

When Neytiri replied, he didn't even realise he had been holding his breath slightly. He did however see the small flash of sudden respect go through her eyes and face before quickly disappearing. But she didn't show it at all when she spoke.

"Only time will tell," she said simply and Jake had to fight the urge to role his eyes. "But this is not important, we are late now so hurry up," she added walking off and gesturing for Jake to follow.

Jake sighed as he had to jog slightly to catch up, he should have know that action meant more to these people then words and decided to train extra hard from now on to try and get in his teachers good books.

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"No, no _Skxawng_," Neytiri said as she slapped the side of his head.

"Hold bow, with strong chest and wide arm," she tried moving his body around to get it right but kept recoiling slightly as she touched his "alien" body.

He sighed in frustration, "I am trying you know," he replied and received another slap behind his head.

"Do not _try_, just _do_," she said, her patients were wearing very thin.

Jake nodded at her and got into the right stance, for the first time today and pulled his arm holding the string and arrow back as far as it would go, which caused Neytiri to throw her arms up and say something, that Jake guessed was profanity, in Na'vi.

"Do not force the bow to go how you want, like you try to do with are home," she said through narrowed eyes as Jake clenched his fist around the bow to dissipate his anger.

She slapped his arm, "Only pull to were you and your _Tsko_ are in comfort with each other."

Jake thought the urge to roll his eyes, he had no god damn idea what that hippy crap meant but he did as she said and pulled till his arm felt comfortable, bordering on straining and were the string was completely tight but not about to snap by his brute force.

Neytiri took a step back, gave a quick nod that he was in the right position and pointed to the target by the tree down rang.

"Let go," she said and Jake obeyed instantly.

The bow recoiled slightly into his arm and scraped slightly which caused an irritating burn but he forced it down and kept his eyes pinned on the arrow and he watched in high anticipation as it struck its target. Jake couldn't hide the stupid grin he plastered on his face when it hit with a thud en centre mass, right in the blue painted bullseye on the large leaf target.

Neytiri, stood, mouth slightly agape and turned to Jake to congratulate but stopped herself as she felt that disgusting hatred she was holding in her heart flow over. She tried to fight it and be a proper teacher, but the images that still haunted her to this day pushed her built up anger over the edge. She hissed inwardly and snarled deciding to vent her anger and pent up grief on her _Skxawng_ of a student.

"Do not think you are great from one good thing Jakesully," she coldly. "You are not better then anyone of the people."

Jake turned quickly and snarled slightly himself but kept his anger mostly in check and stared deep into her eyes, "I know that, you have pretty much told me that a hundred times since I got here but you look me in the eye and say that after only a few archery practises, that a novice like me has before got a shot dead centre like that huh. Tell me that."

Neytiri returned his stare but couldn't figure anything to say bad back. Truth was that, that was a damn good shot especially for a hunter in training. But she still couldn't put out the fire in her heart, the wound of loss, especially so young was just to much.

"It may have been good, but the next could be bad, as the one after that," she breathed in and out slowly. "But if you think you are good, then show me that again."

Jake grinned as his mood quickly changed, "Alright, I'll take your challenge boss," he said as pulled he another arrow out from a pile next to him.

He placed it in right and got into the exact stance he had just been in, he pulled the string back and aimed for the exact area of last and let loose when he was in feeling confident and watched as it soared and hit its target.

The arrow hit its mark on the target, not exactly centre like the last but just on the edge on the blue dot. He smiled another toothy smile and looked at his teacher.

Neytiri, looked pretty much like he expected, smooth and unbelieving as her lips were pressed firm and so was her brow. When she turned to her student she only muttered a single word though it was laced in annoyance.

"Again."

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A few days latter and Jake watched the sun as it was reaching its peak around midday, or what could be passed as mid day on Pandora. The one intriguing, beautiful thing which hit Jake was that at night; it never got real dark like it did on earth. The only light came from the moon, though it could hardly ever be seen any more due to over air pollution from factories and the rest came from man made artificial lights from the sprawling metropolis around the world.

However on this serene and tranquil moon, night was actually fairly bright with the natural bioluminescence in almost every plant and well, every living thing on Pandora glowed bright when dark.

But as Jake saw his next and hopefully last manual task for the day, as his day had already been a real dozy thanks to Neytiri and her "short run" in the forest. He wished it was dark already and time to go and unlink. He also hoped, that with all the good that he had done at the range and sucking up he did to her these past days, Neytiri would be kinder to him.

"_Pa'li_ riding again," he whined as the duo walked along the bank of the river just a little way from Hometree.

"Yes Jake, riding horse is one of the many things hunters must learn," Neytiri replied simply and didn't even realize she had come to calling him by his first name.

While Jake stood standing by the bank for his good looks, Neytiri walked over to retrieve two which were currently enjoying some sap from some large and long flowers.

When she came back with one, Jake realised it was the same one he had been learning to ride with the whole time and for some reason didn't like him and sighed.

"I know, but I would prefer to ride one of those _Ikran_ birds when on hunts then these horses which prefer to just drop me in the mud all the damn time."

Neytiri tried to withhold the small smile which edged on her lips and failed, she knew Jake saw it as well so she quickly replied, "You are not even able to control a _Pa'li _without falling, so how do you think you will be able to not on an _Ikran_?"

Jake turned to her and laughed, not forced or anything like that but a genuine 'at a joke' kind of laugh and that caused Neytiri to get slightly angry.

"What are you laughing at _Skxawng_, I was not joking," she said and Jake turned to her with a grin.

"Sure you weren't," was all he said as he walked over and mounted his _Pa'li_ and made _Tsaheylu _with it and closed his eyes taking in the feeling of the bond.

Neytiri sighed, she was not intending to joke with the dreamwalker as of yet, she still didn't trust him even though he had all but get on his hands and feet and kiss her feet since he had been here and he had been here a while. Jake had done everything she or anyone else had told him too without question but the fire in her chest still burnt and she hoped it would go and she secretly hoped that Jakesully would change her mind and maybe, maybe, help her heal old wounds.

Without her ordering he began with simple commands telling the horse to walk around river bank in a circular pattern from Neytiri and after a lap, he tried to fasten things up by ordering it to gallop. Neytiri smiled as he got cocky and he heard him laugh and state, "I have this" until the Pa'li made a sharp turn, sending him into the thick mud.

Once he got his senses back, he groggily got to his feet and said "Son of a bitch, you did that on purpose." he pointed at the direhorse and gave her a stare while trying to get mud out of his mouth and off his face yet again.

Jake watched Neytiri run over to him and was completely taken back when he heard her laughing, laughing as she jogged over to retrieve his noble steed which had decided to go back to feeding instead of helping its rider.

Neytiri quietened her laugh as she got the horse and brought it back to her student who was once again, this was becoming a daily occurrence for him, cleaning his muscular body of mud.

"You think this is funny," he said with fake anger. "You ain't seen nothing yet."

Neytiri did not understand the _Tawtute_ phrase but she did understand when he scoped of mud from his lower chest and and threw it right at her.

She gasped when it hit her on the stomach and was about to go berserk on him when he saw him sniggering and smile stupidly.

Jake smiled as there current situation bought up old memories of when he was a kid and he used to play with Tommy. And when he saw her face, he almost chocked.

But he did manage to get out a witty response. "Well, you always say that training is a partnership, time to share the load," but as he went to walk over to get back onto his Pa'li he was surprised when a thick blob of brown river mud hit the back of his head.

For some unknown reason, the anger in her chest died down and her heart opened up slightly to this dreamwalker and his child antics. She couldn't help but smile at his explanation and when he turned she grinned at his mistake, "never turn away from a intending opponent" and "never turn away from a fight you start" her father always said. So she piled up the biggest pile of mud she could and that she could still throw and did just that.

The look of surprise on his face was enough to make her smile and laugh at him and when he laughed and smiled back. She suddenly realised that she may have been wrong about him. The past few days he had really shown himself differently, more like one of the people the one of his own.

"So, it does seem that you have a sense of humour after all and that it doesn't involve me hurting myself," Jake said and smiled remembering that she always seemed to either laugh at him or scold him when he failed, but she was only now starting to actually bother to help him succeed as well.

"Well, I could always make you do more for doing this if you want," she said coyly and smiled when Jake grinned like an idiot.

"Nah, I prefer falling off a few times to doing this for the rest of the day," he said and remounted with Neytiri walking him over to the bank again to start him riding once again and she hoped that he wouldn't fall of again.

As she watched him ride properly, without falling off this time she thought to herself that he was starting to change her. Not in a bad way like Tsu'tey said he would but in a good, kind type of way. She found herself coming to like this _Skxawng_ like a possible friend and not a enemy. And she had to admit it, after him being with her and the clan for a few weeks she guessed he was right that he did actually want to learn.

Neytiri felt her anger subside as she was flooded with memories of when she was a child and she used to get up to mischief like this when she was with her older sister. She also felt a kind of presence and she could have sworn she felt a hand grasp her and all her anger biol down. Neytiri knew who it was and smiled; she knew her sister would want her to let go after so long and she decided that Sylwanin wanted her to help this dreamwalker and she did to. To the best of her abilities she promised mentally, so he would pass the trials and become one of the people. She felt herself smile at that thought and she felt herself looking at this man differently then she had done only hours before hand.

She saw him as a nice man, and a very handsome one at that.

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**Additional A/N: **Well that was hard, trying to keep both Jake and Neytiri to how they were in the movie, also I haven't got that new Avatar collectors extended edition yet, though I do plan on getting the DVD version around Christmas or after. (if i can afford it, i'm pretty tight at the moment) But even though I haven't seen the new scenes, I still would like to see some Fanfics about them so I can get hyped for them and use them to help me keep my stories as canon-ly as possible. Also, if there is a scene like this in the film and i have just made a huge screw up, when i find out i'll try and resort this out but until then, this will stay.

Also this story was set to be longer and explain more about Neytiri and how she lost her sister and Jake and his brother but I have decided to cut it and will do a little thing on them in another story(s).

And also, I was thinking of doing another one of these shorts covering Jake getting along with both Grace and Norm and another with Tsu'tey, but I will let you decided if you think I should.

And now that that is done, I would like to say once again thank you for reading and I hope you can leave a review and tell me what you think and remember i would like to here some constructive criticism too.

Sincerely, The Raging Trojan.


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